Los Olivos is approximately two and one half hours by car north of Los Angeles, and approximately four and one half hours by car south of San Francisco. While the drives might be far, if you have time both cities have tons to offer.
The closest city to Los Olivos is Santa Barbara, which is approximately thirty minutes south by car on the 101 freeway. Santa Barbara is a year-round tourist destination known for its "Mediterranean" climate, downtown beaches, and Spanish architecture. The Santa Barbara Mission is regarded as one of the finest examples of the Spanish Franciscan missions in California. For more information, check out www.sbmission.org. Another popular destination in Santa Barbara is State Street. With stores and restaurants lining State Street, it is a popular place to walk and shop. Other Santa Barbara destinations of note are the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (www.sbbg.org) and the Santa Barbara Zoo (www.santabarbarazoo.org).
If you're looking to spend some time playing in the surf, www.santabarbara.com/activities/beaches/ is a great resource on the local beaches. The water might be cold, but the beaches are amazing.
If you're looking to be pampered and don't mind shelling out some money, one of the most beautiful spa resorts in California is located just north of Santa Barbara. Bacara Resort is located on seventy-eight acres of oceanfront property and is worth checking out if only for the views. For more information, Bacara's website is www.bacararesort.com.
Smaller towns near Los Olivos include Solvang and Buellton. Solvang is unique in that it is a Danish village oddly transplanted to the middle of California. Check out www.solvangusa.com for more information. For those who are fond of the California tradition of gambling on Indian reservations, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has a casino located just east of Solvang. Their website, www.chumashcasino.com, has all the details. Buellton is a tiny town nearby, and if you are a fan of Quentin Tarentino's movie Deathproof, the final chase scene where Kurt Russell was finally taken down was filmed in Buellton. (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buellton,_California)
Regarding fine dining in the area, if you've seen the movie Sideways you're no doubt familiar with the Hitching Post. The Hitching Post is the best example around of California BBQ, and in Joe's opinion, is the best steakhouse in California. It's incredible food in an informal setting. Due to the popularity caused by Sideways, reservations are required. For more information, check out www.hitchingpost2.com.
The most popular activity in the Santa Ynez Valley is of course wine tasting. The Santa Ynez Valley Visitors Association has a thorough listing of wineries at www.syvva.com. One of our favorite wineries, apart from Firestone of course, is Rusack Vineyards on Ballard Canyon Road. More information about Rusack can be found at www.rusack.com.
If you've got some time to spare, the area is amazing and presents countless opportunities for sightseeing. We hope during the busy weekend you'll find time to enjoy to area, but if you don't, you can always come back for a second visit and we can be your tour guides!
1 comment:
Sweet! We're looking forward to it!!
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